First-class Project Artist Sharon Koskoff And Two Volunteers Are Painting Another Postcard For Troops.

February 9, 1991|By DAVID J. LOPEZ, Staff Writer

Delray Beach artist Sharon Koskoff has volunteered to help boost the morale of U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf for the second time.

But the giant postcard she is working on now means more to her than the first postcard she painted during the December holidays. That was to support the troops in Operation Desert Shield.

``Now that we`re at war, this is really important,`` she said. ``I never dreamed it would come to this point.``

Koskoff and her two volunteers painted a patriotic-themed, 9- by 12-foot postcard that supporters of the troops can sign.

The postcard will be displayed this weekend at the Boca del Mar Festival of the Arts at the Schever International Plaza on Palmetto Park Road west of Boca Raton. Next weekend, it will be at the Plaza del Mar Festival in Manalapan.

Lisabeth Reynolds, a representative of Park Art Exhibits, which promotes the festival, said Koskoff`s original postcard gave the Boca Raton festival organizers the incentive to try it again.

Reynolds asked Koskoff to create another postcard to send to the unit of one particular soldier -- the son of Schever International`s president, Gary Kirk. Scott Kirk, 21, who is in the 57th Medical Detachment, has been in the Middle East for four months. He was in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 1, the last time the family was notified of his location.

``I know how much they`ll enjoy getting this,`` said Gary Kirk, a Vietnam War veteran.

``Anything like that will boost their morale,`` he said. ``I know that anything like that would have helped us.``

Koskoff, who also designed the T-shirts for the Boca festival and painted a separate mural for the inauguration of Gov. Lawton Chiles, said taking the time out to design the postcard was not an inconvenience.

``Murals are what I do,`` she said. ``I enjoy big projects. I think it was an honor to be considered for something like this.``

Koskoff said she appreciated the assistance her friends gave her.

``If they didn`t help me, I`d be here three days,`` she said. ``This way I`ve got six hands working with me.``

Beverly Drady of Boca Raton, a full-time artist, said she did not mind volunteering to help her friend and support her country.

``My heart is with the troops,`` she said. ``I feel at least I can do something to contribute.``

Artist Bill Bisek of Riviera Beach, who has a college friend going to Saudi Arabia in March, also was willing to give Koskoff a hand.

Koskoff said the postcard will be signed in different colors on each day at both festivals to make it more identifiable than last time, when only a red pen was used.

``Visually, it will be easier to read the message,`` she said.

Koskoff hopes the wording on the top of the postcard, ``...and freedom for all,`` will be achieved.